Iwu tasks political parties on internal democracy

ABUJAâ€”The National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Maurice Iwu yesterday challenged the politicians and political parties to concentrate their energies on mobilizing Nigerians for the 2011 elections and ensuring internal democracy in their parties rather than dissipate energies calling for his removal.

Speaking at a stakeholders forum convened by the commission in preparation for the April 10 council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, Professor Iwu said the forces behind the call for his removal are afraid of the reforms he has introduced into the electoral system which has drastically reduced the capacity of those bent on sabotaging the elections.

â€œThe recent times have been quite revealing about the true challenges of development in Nigeria. Both at home where personal ambition has assumed an unprecedented desperate level and abroad where some of those who ought to protect the interest of the country are bent on selling it short, the gains of democracy in the country in the past ten years are being threatened by those who really do not wish true democracy well in the country.

â€œThe new game in town now is renting crowds and giving them placards to hurl personal abuse on the chairman of INEC whose tenure is in a home stretch. How that will help any body win an election is not clear,â€ he said